168th Bergedorf Round Table

Strengthening Europe’s Cohesion

Photo: Körber-Stiftung/Bartłomiej Sawka

in Warsaw, 21-23 June 2018

The European Union’s 2004 Eastern enlargement marked a historic milestone in overcoming Europe’s post-World War II division. Nearly thirty years after the fall of the Iron Curtain, the “European project” finds itself at yet another critical juncture: While seeking to enhance the EU’s defense capabilities in the face of mounting external challenges, member states’ diverging views on sovereignty, solidarity and the future direction of European integration have revealed new internal fault lines – some of them along the lines of the Iron Curtain.

Against this background, the 168th Bergedorf Round Table took place from 21-23 June 2018, and explored how to strengthen unity and cohesion in the EU. What does a shared vision for the future of the Union look like? How can member states increase the space for compromise, without compromising the nature of the Union? Is there any value in reviving the Weimar Triangle? And how can and should the Union navigate national and European interests in implementing its Common Foreign and Security Policy?

The participants were 35 high-ranking politicians, government officials, and representatives from think tanks, academia and the media from EU member states and beyond.